Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Memorandum of Understanding on science and innovation signed between the UK and Switzerland on an agreement with the EU on the UK's participation in Horizon Europe; and if he will make a statement.

Being a science superpower means deepening our international relationships with leading research and innovation economies like Switzerland.

Association to EU programmes would not change this strong bilateral relationship: the Government’s preference remains association to Horizon Europe and the Government continues to do everything to secure this. But the UK cannot wait forever. The priority is to support international collaboration in science and R&I – Government want to strengthen the valuable and long-standing partnerships between UK and European researchers whilst expanding the UK’s global partnerships regardless of whether we associate to Horizon Europe.